HARMONIC INFLECTION.

Besides that variety which necessarily arises from annexing certain inflections to sentences of a particular import or structure, there is still another source of variety, in those parts of a sentence where the sense is not at all concerned, and where the variety is merely to please the ear. There are many members of sentences which may be differently pronounced without greatly affecting their variety and harmony. It is chiefly toward the end of a sentence that the harmonic inflection is necessary in order to form an agreeable cadence.

RULE I.—When a series of similar sentences; or members of sentences, form a branch of a subject or paragraph, the last sentence or member must fall gradually into a lower tone, and adopt the harmonic inflection, on such words as form the most agreeable cadence.

EXAMPLE.

Since I have mentioned this unaccountable zeal which appears in atheists and infidels, I must farther observe, that they are likewise in a most particular manner possessed with the spirit of bigotry. They are wedded' to opinions' full of contradiction and impossibility', and at the same' time look upon the smallest' difficulty in an article` of faith' as a sufficient reason for rejecting it.

RULE II.-When the last member of a sentence ends with four accented words, the falling inflection takes place on the first and last, and the rising on the second and third.

EXAMPLES.

1. The immortality of the oul is the basis of morality, and the source of all the pleasing' hopes' and secret' joys', that can arise in the heart' of a reasonable' creature'. 2. A braye' man struggling in the storms of fate', And greatly falling' with a falling' state'.

RULE III. When there are three accented words at the end of the last member, the first has either the rising or falling, the second the rising, and the last the falling inflection.

EXAMPLE.

Cicero concludes his celebrated books De Oratore, with some precepts for pronunciation and action, without which

part he affirms, that the best orator in the world can never succeed, and an indifferent one, who is master of this, shall gain much` greater' applause`.

ECHO

Is here used to express that repetition of a word or thought, which immediately arises from a word or thought that preceded it.

RULE. The echoing word ought always to be pronounced with the rising inflection in a high tone of voice, and a long pause after it, when it implies any degree of passion.*

EXAMPLES.

1. Newton was a Christian! Newton'! whose mind burst forth from the fetters cast by nature on our finite conceptions-Newton'! whose science was truth, and the foundation of whose knowledge of it was philosophy; not those visionary and arrogant presumptions which too often usurp its name, but philosophy resting on the basis of mathematics, which, like figures, cannot lie--Newton'! who carried the line and rule to the utmost barrier of creation, and explored the principles by which, no doubt, all created matter is held together and exists.

2. With "mysterious reverence" I forbear to descant on those serious and interesting rites, for the more august and solemn celebration of which fashion nightly convenes these splendid myriads to her more sumptuous temples. Rites'! which, when engaged in with due devotion, absorb the whole soul, and call every passion into exercise, except those indeed of love, and peace, and kindness, and gentleness. Inspiring' rites! which stimulate fear, rouse hope, kindle zeal, quicken dulness, sharpen discernment, exercise memory, inflame curiosity! Rites'! in short, in the due performance of which all the energies and attentions, all the powers and abilities, all the abstractions and exertion, all the diligence and devotedness, all the sacrifice of time, all the contempt of ease, all the neglect of sleep, all the oblivion of care, all the risks of fortune, (half of which, if directed to their true objects, would change the very face

* The echoing word is printed in italics, and marked with the rising inflection.

of the world,) all these are concentrated to one point: a point'! in which the wise and the weak, the learned and the ignorant, the fair and the frightful, the sprightly and the dull, the rich and the poor, the patrician and plebeian, meet in one common uniform equality: an equality'! as religiously respected in the solemnities in which all distinctions are levelled at a blow, and of which the very spirit is therefore democratical, as it is combated in all other instances. HANNAH MORE on Female Education.

THE MONOTONE,

In certain solemn and sublime passages, has a wonderful force and dignity; and by the uncommonness of its use, it even adds greatly to that variety with which the ear is so much delighted.*

EXAMPLES.

1. High on a throne of royal state, which far
Outshone the wealth of Ormus or of Inde,
Or where the gorgeous east, with richest hand,
Showers, on her kings barbaric, pearl' and gold',
Satan exalted sat.

2. Hence! loathed Melancholy,

Of Cerberus and blackest midnight born,

In Stygian cave forlorn,

'Mongst horrid shapes and shrieks, and sights unholy, Find out some uncouth cell,

Where brooding darkness spreads his jealous wings And the night raven sings;

There, under ēbon shades and low-brow'd rōcks,

As ragged as thy locks,

In dark Cimmerian desert ever dwell.

CIRCUMFLEXES.

The rising circumflex begins with the falling inflection, and ends with the rising upon the same syllable, and seems as it were to twist

* This monotone may be defined to be a continuation or sameness of sound upon certain syllables of a word, exactly like that produced by repeatedly striking a bell;-such a stroke may be louder or softer, but continues exactly in the same pitch. To express this tone upon paper, a horizontal line may be adopted; such a one as is generally used to express a long syllable in verse: thus (-).

the voice upward. This turn of the voice is marked in this man ner (v)

EXAMPLE.

But it is foolish in us to compare Drusus Africanus and ourselves with Clodius; all our other calamities were tolerable; but no one can patiently bear the death of Clodius

The falling circumflex begins with the rising inflection, and end. with the falling upon the same syllable, and seems to twist the voice downward. This turn of the voice may be marked by the common circumflex: thus (^).

EXAMPLE.

Queen. Hamlet, you have your father much offended. Hamlet. Madam, yoû have my father much offended. Both these circumflex inflections may be exemplified in the word so, in a speech of the Clown in Shakspeare's As You Like It.

I knew when seven justices could not take up a quarrel; but when the parties were met themselves, one of them thought but of an If; as if you said so, then I said sô· O ho! did you so? So they shook hands and were sworn brothers.

CLIMAX,

OR A GRADUAL INCREASE OF SIGNIFICATION,

Requires an increasing swell of the voice on every succeeding particular, and a degree of animation corresponding with the nature of the subject.

EXAMPLES.

1. After we have practised good actions a while, they become easy, and when they are easy, we begin to take pleasure in them; and when they please us, we do them frequently; and, by frequency of acts, a thing grows into a habit; and a confirmed habit is a second kind of nature; and, so far as any thing is natural, so far it is necessary, and we can hardly do otherwise; nay, we do it mar y times when we do not think of it.

2. 'Tis listening fear and dumb amazement all,
When to the startled eye the sudden glance
Appears far south, eruptive through the cloud;
And following slower in explosion vast,

The thunder raises his tremendous voice.
At first heard solemn o'er the verge of heaven,
The tempest growls; but, as it nearer comes,
And rolls its awful burden on the wind,
The lightnings flash a larger curve, and more
The noise astounds; till overhead a sheet
Of livid flame discloses wide; then shuts
And opens wider; shuts and opens still,
Expansive, wrapping ether in a blaze:
Follows, the loosen'd aggravated roar,
Enlarging, deepening, mingling; peal on peal
Crush'd horrible, convulsing heaven and earth.

ACCENT.

FILE.-Emphasis requires a transposition of accent when two words which have a sameness in part of their formation, are opposed to each other in sense.

EXAMPLES.

1. What is done', cannot be undone.*

2. There is a material difference between giv'ing and forgiving.

3. Thought and language act' and re'act upon each oti.er.

4. He who is good before in'visible witnesses, is eminently so before the visible.

5 What fellowship hath right'eousness with un'righteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?

6. The riches of the prince must increase or decrease in proportion to the number and riches of his subjects.

*The signs ('and '), besides denoting the inflections, mark also the accented syllables.

Whatever inflection be adopted, the accented syllable is always louder than the rest; but if the accent be pronounced with the rising inflection, the accented syllable is higher than the preceding, and lower than the succeeding syllable; and if the accent have the falling inflection, the accented syllable is pronounced higher than any other syllable, either pi ceding or succeeding.